³𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐲 , 13rw ✔︎

Always Waiting for the Next Bad News (2)

Mia looks down at the picture in her hands as she sits in her car. It was a picture of her and Hannah smiling, hugging each other. Mia smirks and wipes her tears. Her phone vibrates, she grabs her phone and sighs as she sees the caller I.D.

She answers the phone and places it against her ear. "Hey, Clay." She says with a small smile.

"Hey, where are you? You weren't there when I picked up Ani and I was just worried..." Clay says quietly.

Mia licks her lips, "Do you know what today is?" She asks, quietly as she looks down at the picture.

Clay bites the inside of his cheek and nods his head. "The anniversary of...Hannah..." Clay says.

Mia sighs, "Yeah..." She lays her head against the headrest. Clay looks around the hallway. "Where are you?" He asks.

"I'm in the parking lot...I know I shouldn't let this get to me...I've just been thinking about it." Mia licks her lips.

Clay nods his head. "Okay, don't go anywhere." He insists.

Mia ends the call and continues to look at the picture. After a few minutes, she hears a knock on her window. She turns and sees Clay. She unlocks the doors and Clay sits in the passenger seat.

He looks at her and smiles, he notices the picture in her hand and presses his lips together. She shows him the picture, "This was uh--my birthday...do you remember that?" She questions as she turns to him.

Clay pulls his brows together, "The one with the Marijuana?" He questions.

Mia nods her head, "Yep, that's the one." She answers and laughs with Clay. They both quiet down and she bites her lip. "My life has been going really good lately." She admits.

"And...sometimes when it's quiet, I just...think about how...she isn't here and why I should be happy." Mia bites the inside of her cheek. She presses her thumb between her brows.

"I feel the same way, if I'm being honest," Clay admits. Mia looks up at him and raises her brows, "Really?" She questions with relief.

Clay nods his head, "Yeah. There are...times when I think about her and it hurts to think about her sometimes, but there are times when I think of the good moments. Like the theater, lunch, and us three just hanging." Clay lays his head against the headrest and stares into her blue eyes.

Mia holds his hand and smiles, "Those were some good times, huh?" She chuckles.

Clay smiles, "Yeah...it was. But...now we can make new memories, for Hannah." Clay says.

A lumps forms in Mia's throat, tears brim her eyes. She nods her head, "For Hannah." She whispers.

Mia looks up as she sees Cyrus and his friends sit down next to Mia and Clay. "Hey, guys. Mind if we join you?" Cyrus questions the couple. Mia takes her hand out of Clay's and looks at him, waiting for him to answer. "No, not at all," Clay says.

"This healthy school lunch thing is the worst." Cyrus states.

"Hey, my mom could bag you a lunch." One of Cyrus's friends says.

Mia pulls her brows together as she sees his lunch. "Are you...eating three sandwiches?" She questions.

"I'm growing." He says.

"God, I hope not. You're like a fucking giant." Someone next to Mia says.

Mia smirks and nods her head slowly, "I love this conversation." She whispers, she takes a bite out of her sandwich.

"Clay, man, we should hang out more," Cyrus says.

Clay looks over to Cyrus, wondering if he's serious or not. Mia couldn't help but smile softly. "Yeah." Clay nods his head. "No, we totally should."

Clay presses his lips together, "You know I didn't kill Bryce, right?" Clay says.

They all look at each other. "Oh, yeah, totally." He says.

Mia squints her eyes, she didn't know if he was kidding or not. "We don't hang out with murderers, only the dispossessed." Cyrus states,

"I don't know what that word means, but right on." One of the boys says.

Mia clears her throat, "I-I don't mean to be...annoying, but..." Mia rolls her eyes. "I'm going to be." She sets her sandwich down. "Dispossessed, Deprive of land, property, or other possessions." She says with a shrug.

"Uh...thanks." The guy says. Mia nods her head. She catches sight of something. "Are those...fruit snacks?"

==========

Mia bites her thumbnail nervously as it opens. "Mia? Hi."

Mia takes her thumbnail out of her mouth. "Hi, Amara Josephine...is my mom here right now?" She asks as she shifts her bag on her shoulder. Amara Josephine steps aside and lets her in. The blonde looks around the house that was still clean.

"Miss Walker." Amara Josephine goes to another room. "Your daughter is here."

Nora looks up from her drink and sighs. She sets her drink down, "Thank you, Amara Josephine." She says. Amara Josephine leaves the room, Nora walks into the front room and sees her daughter there.

Mia stares at her mom for a moment. She sees the look in her eyes, it was the same look that Mia had not that long ago when she lost Jeff and Hannah. Mia gnaws on her bottom lip. "Hey, mom..." She says quietly.

Nora looks at the ground, then her daughter again. "What are you doing here?" She asks.

Mia wipes her nose and sniffles. "I don't want to fight." She says as she throws her arms in the air. Nora exhales, relieved that her daughter wasn't here to argue. "I-I want us to...cry together about Bryce. I want us to m-mourn together, mom. I want you to..." Mia stops rambling and she inhales, calming herself down. "I want you to not hate me." Mia admits.

Nora opens her mouth, "Oh honey." Nora walks over to her daughter and cups her cheeks. Mia closes her eyes. "I don't hate you, I was just...angry, about Bryce and I was taking it out on you, I shouldn't have done that...it wasn't fair." Nora wraps her arms around her daughter.

Mia inhales and hugs her back. "I'm sorry." Mia says quietly. Nora kisses the top of the girl's head. They both comfort each other in their time of need.